We all get stressed and unmotivated, but at a certain point in life it can lead to numbing emotional and physical exhaustion. Burnout can set in due to stress or when our hard work fails to produce the desired results. This can lead to intense feelings of depression, despair and burnout.
Do you feel as if you’ve lost your zest for life, darling?
Have you begun to lose interest in things you used to be passionate about?
Is it hard to motivate yourself to just get things done? And does it feel as if everything in your realm of responsibilities feels like, well, complete drudgery? Let me be honest with you, darling. It sounds as if you’re in the early stages of feeling burnt out and unmotivated.
You keep asking yourself: where has my “get up and go” gone? These early stages have other effects on you, too. Isolation. And as if you are the only one who just can’t seem to get it together.
Frankly, you are not alone. Research is showing us that larger numbers of adults are dealing with high stress and burnout. I know it’s hard to admit to yourself – let alone anyone else – that you’re feeling burnt out and unmotivated.
Yet, when you’re honest with yourself about feeling burnt out and unmotivated, you’re in the position to deal with it.
Knowledge is powerful. And what’s even more powerful is the decision that things have got to change. Because, darling, you deserve to love your life. Not feel burnt out by it.
Making this realization and then deciding that something has to change can help you deal with the “unmotivated’ part, too.
If you’re feeling burnt out and unmotivated, embrace these six tips to recover. And reclaim your life.
Read Burnout Prevention and Treatment Strategies How To Deal with Overwhelming Stress
6 Tips To Recover From Burnout
1) Getting Better Organized Helps When You Feel Burnt Out and Unmotivated
Whether you are naturally organized or tend to be more haphazard in how you manage things, one of the tell-tale signs you are feeling burnt out and unmotivated is that your organization level begin to disintegrate beyond your norm.
Feeling burnt out and unmotivated often means that you get stuck with swirling thoughts – which I call brain clutter. And those thoughts make the feelings of overwhelming rise up. Dealing with that mental clutter is helpful, of course, yet it’s often harder to do when you’re in burn out. (Just being honest here).
So, the thing I’ve found immensely helpful is to take control of a physical space or your schedule. Or both. Tidy up your desk. Make your bedroom a haven. Look at your calendar and to do list, and create a reasonable plan for the coming week. With no more than three big items as priorities per day.
Getting better organized will help provide you a structure of support. And, honestly, darling, a lack of structure adds to the burnout and overwhelm.
2) You Must Choose to Unplug on a Regular Basis
The increasing sophistication of communication technology means you can work from anywhere in the world. I am so grateful for the ability to use the internet and social media to connect with folks. My phone and my laptop are important tools to manage my business and my life.
However, while this allows all of us a level of freedom to work anywhere? Constantly being connected, especially with work, lends to feeling burnt out and unmotivated. That’s because much of our work is sypheian in nature. Take this blog for example. As soon as I publish a blog for you, I need to write another one. You can get caught up in that cycle of never getting everything done.
While I don’t believe in the mythical unicorn called “balance”, I do know that in order to deal with burnout you must unplug on a regular basis. I recommend doing it at least once a week. Or, if that feels scary, begin by doing a half-day per week.
3) When You Feel Burnt Out and Unmotivated You Need to Make Sleep A Priority
You’ve probably heard me say it before, but getting enough sleep is one of the best things you can do for yourself. No matter what’s happening in your life. The more research they do on sleep, the more we understand how a lack of sleep hurts us in every area of our life.
You must ensure you are getting adequate sleep if you want to deal with feeling burnt out. Resting up allows you to shore up your reserves. And sleep allows you to stay sharper and more focused. And, of course, getting enough sleep increases your decision-making ability.
When sleep is a regular priority, you’ll soon discover you’re less like to feel burnt out and unmotivated.
Read 10 Signs You’re Burnt Out And What To Do About It
4) Re-evaluating Your Goals (And How You Go About Setting Them) Is Helpful
When you are feeling burnt out and unmotivated, examine your goals. How did you set those goals? Are you focusing on the desired emotion upon completion? Are you setting SMART goals? Do your goals align your overall vision for your life?
Goals that are unrealistic, not aligned with your deeper desires, or have unreasonable timelines can lead to those feelings of being overwhelmed and burned out. Reexamining those goals allows you to regain your focus, which helps with your feeling unmotivated.
On the flip side, a lack of real goals set can cause you to feel burnt out and unmotivated. That’s because without a target, it’s impossible to focus on what’s important to you. Because you haven’t gained real clarity. Then, you just spin your wheels.
When you define your goals? Solid, attainable goals? Then create a realistic plan to usher them from idea to reality? You will most likely feel more energized and motivated than you are right now. Prioritizing also sharpen your focus, allowing you to motivate yourself.
5) If You’re Ready to Stop Feeling Burnt Out and Unmotivated You Will Need to Begin Saying “No”
Are you feeling burnt out because you are saying “YES” to everyone? Even when you don’t have the bandwidth to add more to your plate? Or when you don’t even want to do it? Then, darling, that could be what is causing – or exasperating – feeling burnt out and unmotivated.
I know you want to make others in your life happy. And you don’t want to upset everyone. Always saying yes has a cost. If you want to reclaim your sense of peace, then, that means you must learn to say “no” to anything you don’t really want to do.
And, if we were, to be honest, that means you sometimes need to say “no” to things you want to do, but just don’t have the bandwidth for. Because, when you feel burnt out and unmotivated, you must reclaim more of your time. And that demands to do less. Which means you have to say “no” more often. To others and yourself.
6) Play and Relaxation is Important if You Want to Stop Feeling Burnt Out and Unmotivated
When you’re feeling burned out, you need to relax. Yes, I know that I’ve already suggested more sleep, but relaxation is different from sleep. Relaxation is learning to embrace leisure time as true leisure time. Not as time to watch a movie while simultaneously working. Or convince yourself that walking on the treadmill while reading that report is not leisure.
Read a book that has nothing to do with learning or work. Go for a bike ride, not because of calories burned, but because you like the wind in your face. Set aside time to simply play.
Read 13 Quotes To Remember When You Are Feeling Lost In Life
Embracing these ideas will allow you to begin recovering from feeling burnt out and unmotivated.
Do know that this may not happen overnight. Recovery is a journey. Think of it as a marathon, not a sprint. Yes, there will be days when it feels like you’re taking two steps backward rather than forward. However, over time, you’ll begin to see that your stress is lessened. And that you’ve begun to be passionate about your interests – and your life – again.
Know, too, that it’s easy to believe you’re making progress and slip back into believing you can do MORE. Don’t be tempted to resume the life of too much on your plate. Use this experience of feeling burnt out and unmotivated to, well, motivate you to curating a life that feels loving and nourishing. Decide that you’re not going to live on the fumes of your life ever again. And remind yourself of that regularly.
Because, darling, life is simply too precious to live that way. You deserve more.
Written by Debra Smouse
Originally appeared in Debra Smouse
Debra Smouse is a life coach and author who has been published in Time, Huffington Post, MSN, Psychology Today, and more. She knows that the path to loving your life begins with an uncluttered mind. Snag a free workbook with life hacks on how to love YOUR life.
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